This Spring
... I've been wondering, what happened to the animals when it rains ?
Such a silly question. It’s a question I have had a long, long time. I thought perhaps I would google for the answer. I have not yet done so. But the answer appeared despite my life long procrastination.
Today I returned from my aerobic workout. I was getting ready to change shoes, to go out to feed the chickens, and give them their water. The chickens, of course, are in a coup, the hen house, and protected from the elements, well at least to twenty below zero Fahrenheit, which we reached recently. I glanced out the window, looking to the east, scanning the landscape of our big side yard, seeing the hand planted pine trees. I also saw gray, and overly gray skies, as a heavy downpour of rain falls, preceding the ice and snow forecast for later today. Then behold my eyes, at the top of the grape vine arbor sets the Dove Family.
Well at least two of the family, seems like an early return by the birds, as winter is not over, but being here, are the Doves, in the spring, summer, to sometime into the late fall. Now to my joy and the uplifting of my underworked heart, there they are perched, sitting placidly in the rain, as it comes down very heavily. One dove occasionally lifts a wing or picks at its feathers, while the other just spends time bird meditating. As the raincoats of the feathers seemingly soaked, the water drips off these two, outside, wild, family of birds, in a non-threatening setting. Yes, I see other birds flying around soaring where their instincts take them. But the Dove Family appears to be here for the duration, they are home in the comfort of the author's planted trees and shrubs. I know the Dove Family calls this land and air, home.
These creatures are quite beautiful and so camouflaged into the background of dormant mustard yellowed grasses, their sided coverings of a two-tone beige and gray brown, with black markings. I gazed, so amazed that they can sit and do whatever it is they do. For you perhaps, I thought, I can capture this word expression here as you read, on digital film with a photographic liking of the two perched.
I feel like somehow I should be getting out a sign to say ‘welcome back’ for the One Dove and Dove Two. How can I say, we missed you ? You're great sign that spring is near. Here you are to be starting your full Family again, and we will listen for your tweet, not on Twitter, but in the open amazing atmosphere of Mother Earth. She shares with us so much and we're just so pleased that we can share common space with you at this time.
I whisper through the glass to the Dove Family, it is our dire fear, by some of us cognisantly inclined, that the human species is destroying the basic earth elements, that nourish and sustain your home and ours. It is not our wish that “they” by their detestable ways, mindless greedy gains, pay no heed to your kingdom, or to the flora and fauna, or even us.
Too many people in the modern society appear not to experience what I have just experienced. Thus, it is necessary to share, so all of us can begin to care. To look at one singular square-foot of the planet and see what it means to have a balance with earth is what the Dove family teaches. Creativity coming from our mind needs to be able to save us, from us they whisper back. Mom Earth of course will continue, as we may not have the means and mechanism to stay in balance with Her. So by our own designs and choices and mad insane men, (mostly men) her fury will have no option but to drive many species to the sixth extinction ahead of it’s due time.
I am worried. I do promote each second of the day to dwell on keeping this creation alive with human sensibilities, for the human species, on her surfaces, and in her waters breathing, her air communicating, and her waves too, traveling to and fro.
Longing for getting out my fossil fueled piece of CO₂ guilt mobile, I saw other signs of spring in this morning rain. At least three separate tulip bunches had pushed through the west walled stone space. I am always so excited by that recaptured growth cycle, so elementary colorful and expressive, annually. Yes happy, although we realize the snow is on its way today.
And as long as I've been writing this story the birds remain situated, quiet, content, alert, beautiful, meaningful, inspirational, saturated with water. Acid free water we can not guarantee for them now, but soon say, yes it is so.
How can I not like my existence ? How can I not take the time to observe ? How can I not take even more time to learn ? And as I have learned can I not share with this fact, the doves do live in the air ?
The question remains, what do the other animals do when it rains ? This will require additional investigation. Something I should've observed long ago. So as not to demean this author, suffice to say one has learned by living life, one is never too late to learn, then or now this Spring.